You Don't Have to be Alone
by Fredforever
Summary: Riley has always been a loner. Its easier with her life style to suffer through the day to day grind without anyone prying into her life. When her father moves her back to England just before her 4th year of school her world is turned upside down. Secrets are revealed and lives are in danger. Perhaps now is the time to finally let someone in.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello lovelies! I have the first 8 or so chapters of this already done and will be posting once a week. This has been sitting on my computer for a while and I'm excited to have the time to finish it. I hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave reviews as they always help my writing. As always, I own nothing but the idea.

Chapter 1:

I anxiously paced the ornate marble in the foyer or my so called home. Can a mansion ever really feel like home? It had been in my family for centuries, but to me it just felt empty and cold. As I contemplated to myself on how a place so impersonal could ever feel like home to someone, the flames of the fire place turned from bright orange to emerald green as an older woman dressed in a green cloak stepped out.

"Miss Rosier I presume?" I nodded my head cautiously. "My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My job tonight is to escort you to the castle before the others arrive. I assume you've been expecting me?" Her eyebrow rose and she eyed my packed truck.

I took in the full length of the woman before me. Her demeanor reminded me of a stern grandmother, someone capable of being loving but allowed no rules to go unfollowed. The tight bun in her hair and worn clothes fit with that image.

Of course she was right, I had been expecting her. The sudden appearance of her in my home ready to whisk me off to a school full of wizards and witches wasn't what made me hesitant. No, my hesitation was purely the dread I felt at starting over again.

See, unlike some, I had known my entire 14 years that I was born a witch so that wasn't a surprise to me. However, when I was nine years old my father and only living parent took me from the only home I had known in London and moved me to New York. For the last three years, I have attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I thought I was doing alright.

My father had other plans apparently. You see, the man who raised me was part of a particular crowd back in London. His decision to move to the United States was purely out of embarrassment at my existence. Things had been changing over the last few years though and it has forced his move back to London, reluctantly taking me along.

So now here I am, alone as usual, as a complete stranger comes to take me away to a new school where I am sure to be as alone as I was in America. I'm ok being alone, really. At this point I'm pretty used to it. It's not that I'm particularly awkward or weird looking or anything. I'm actually relatively pretty despite how vain that sounds. My body is naturally thin and just starting to develop in all the right places. I was blessed with clear skin, though I'm pretty awesome at potions and have a cure for any stray blemishes on standby. While I never met my mother, nor have I ever seen a picture of her, I must have inherited my features from her. My facial features are dainty in a way a females should be and perfectly symmetrical. My eyes are a wide, lashes long, and lips full. I have refused to cut my hair more than a trim for quite some time and as a result it hangs in long, soft, auburn curls to just above my waist.

The girls in my old dorm spent the last semester whispering loudly enough so I could hear how it was such a waste that someone could be pretty and have zero social skills. If they only knew. It wasn't my lack of socialization that kept me away from them, it was strictly self-preservation. My secrets weren't for sharing and as a result getting close to others wasn't on my to-do list.

Now here I was, Professor McGonagall still staring at me waiting for an answer I knew I should give and growing more impatient by the second.

Sighing heavily, I gave in. "Yes. I was expecting you. Let's get this over with."

She pursed her lips but otherwise remained professional as she shrunk my trunk which contained all my necessary items and motioned me towards the fireplace. Calling out the destination, I allowed the flames to take me to my new school.

The room I exited to wasn't what I expected. It was full of many odd things that I couldn't name and the walls were covered in portraits and books. There was a certain feel to the place, more regal and historic than I was used to. Though I'm not sure why I was surprised. Wanting to make sure I was caught up, I had read my edition of Hogwarts: A History. I knew the school I would be attending was an actual castle founded centuries ago and ripe with history.

To my left a very old man in full wizard robes cleared his throat. Before he had the chance to introduce himself, I knew from my studies that this was Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Ah, Miss Rosier, I hope your trip was uneventful." I nodded and took the chair he indicated. "I know you haven't had the easiest of journeys, but I hope you find your time here educational." His mouth twisted slightly at if he found gaining an education at a school amusing.

"It is not conventional for students to arrive a day before term begins, however I felt your situation to be different. It's not often that we have a student transfer in the middle of their education and we wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for you. Traditionally first years are brought to the grounds by boat and sorted before the welcome feast into their school house. Now I know you have something similar at Ilvermorny, but I assure you Hogwart's Houses are so much more than the people you'll be sharing space with. They are your family and I suggest you treat them as people you can trust and learn with."

I watched him carefully as he approached a stand with an ugly brown hat. "Ah, here we are. The sorting hat. This will tell you the house you belong in. We will sort you this evening and give you the tour traditionally given to all first years. We want you to have a chance to be settled before the others arrive tomorrow evening."

Gently, he placed the hat upon my head. I cursed to myself at how disgusting it was to wear a hat so many others had worn, but before I could get too far I was distracted by the thoughts of the hat itself. I could feel the pull of information it was drawing from me as it pondered the decision of which house I would be spending my sentence at this school.

"Slytherin!" It didn't take long for the decision and I can't say that I was surprised. From what my father said, everyone in our family had been in Slytherin and, while he didn't say as much, I knew that any other house would be a complete disgrace.

"Just like your father Miss Rosier." I saw the slight twinkle in his eye as if he knew something I didn't. For all it was worth, this man in front of me was a stranger and I wasn't going to let the weakness of my relief show in my features.

I straightened slightly and waited for him to continue with what I was sure was going to be a long boring speech about fitting in. He didn't disappoint.

"You see Miss Rosier, it is imperative to form relationships of those you can rely on. Start within your own house, and if possible, branch out to others. I will be keeping close tabs on you personally to ensure you thrive. Now, there isn't much time left this evening. Professor McGonagall will show you to your dormitory and introduce you to professor Snape, your head of house. Tomorrow for breakfast and lunch, the house elves will serve you in your quarters as I thought it would be awkward to you to dine with your new instructors as the lone student. I expect you to be in the great hall at 7pm sharp for the welcome feast. Enjoy your evening."

With that I was excused. We weaved the long hallways and steep staircases down toward the dungeons. Professor Snape barely spared me a glance as Professor McGonagall made the introduction. That was fine by me, the less attention he paid me the better as far as I was concerned.

The Slytherin common room wasn't completely unexpected. Furniture that looked rich and lush was spread out and the room was adorned in greens and silvers. Overall it looked comfortable. I thought back to the sterile and hard decor of my own home and thought that this would be an upgrade. At least I would be allowed to sit on the furniture.

The professor informed me I would have four dorm mates. Since they had been sharing the room for the previous three years, I had no choice in the bed I was given. I was getting anxious for the professor to leave. I had been on my own for weeks now as my father has been off doing whatever it is he does and knowing that my time of personal space would be coming to an end made me anxious to get settled in peace.

When she finally took leave, I inhaled deeply for the first time in what felt like days. I was here. This was the hardest part. The room wasn't so bad. It had more than enough space for the five of us, though I wasn't sure how they managed with just one bathroom. Hopefully none of them took too long in the mornings. My bed was more than large enough to accommodate my small but growing frame. I appreciated the dark green, soft, velvet that hung from the canopy above. It allowed more privacy that my dorm at Ilvermorny and for that I was grateful.

Despite being born wealthy, I managed to acquire only the bare essentials and had few personal belongings to unpack. Don't get me wrong, father wanted me to represent him well and that which I had was of the finest quality, but he never provided more than what was needed.

Once everything was in place, I got myself ready for bed. I took my time brushing my teeth and combing my hair. It was one of my pleasures in life, taking the time to care for myself. I climbed into bed and grabbed a book. I was thankful for my large collection as that seemed to be the one thing my father would provide me. Ever since I was little he learned that the easiest way to keep me occupied was a pile of fresh books. This allowed him the quiet he wanted, and allowed me to get lost in worlds I could only dream of.

And so tonight, as I sat in the quiet room designed for five, I picked up one of my favorites and lost myself in the land of imagination.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was no need to set an alarm for the morning since the others would be arriving well into the evening. It took me a moment to get my bearings when I woke. The room was still unfamiliar and I stubbed my toe in the darkness on my way to the bathroom. Hopping slightly I made my way to the bathroom. There was no need to rush and knowing that my dorm mates probably wouldn't appreciate log showers, I took my time.

Honestly, I really didn't mind being at school. It wasn't any less lonely than being at home and at least here I could learn and, best of all, use my wand. My hair was dry in no time hanging loose down my shoulders and I applied a light layer of black to my lashes to make them stand out. There was no sense in dirtying two pairs of clothes for the day, so I pulled on my Hogwarts School uniform.

I assessed myself in the mirror. It wasn't hideous, but there was at least something that could be done. Like I said, I'm not entirely vain, but what teenage girl wants to look frumpy? The black tights weren't bad, but I shortened the black skirt so it fell just below mid-thigh. There wasn't much I could do about the white oxford, but I tucked it in and buttoned the provided black sweater over it. Casting a quick charm the sweater tailored to my form and became much more fitted to my curves. One of father's strict rules was that one must be impeccably dressed at all times and as a result he drilled into me several tailoring charms from an early age.

Once satisfied, I ate a quick breakfast provided in the common room and took my leave to explore. While I didn't have my schedule yet, I took the opportunity of a full day before me to memorize the different passageways throughout the castle. By the time the welcome feast was due to start, I knew exactly where the vanishing step was, how to time the moving stair cases, and several different ways to get to all the classrooms.

I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself so I waited until the train had arrived and people were beginning to fill the great hall before I took a seat at the table that would soon be full of other Slytherins.

I was so busy studying the teachers at the head table that I barely noticed as the table started to fill. Several students that appeared to be about my age settled down around me.

It didn't take long before I could feel the confused gazes settle on me.

"I don't believe we've been introduced."

Tearing my gaze from the distraction that was the head table, my eyes landed on a tall boy with white blonde hair. I took in his features and it was clear that he was someone important around here. He held himself with class and he was well groomed.

I groaned internally. The last thing I needed was for someone of popularity to take notice of me.

"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And you are?" He held out his hand formally for me to shake.

While I tried to remain unnoticed, that didn't mean I went out of my way to be vicious or impolite.

"Rosier. Riley Rosier."

He took my outstretched hand and I saw as recognition dawned.

"Is your father by any chance Evan?"

I tried not to cringe outwardly. If this boy knew my father, it could only mean trouble. Suddenly, I remembered the name he had given. Malfoy. He was one of the sacred 28 my father loves to boast about.

The sacred 28 are the only families left in Europe that are 100% wizard blood. Not that that matters to me, but to them it's everything. Apparently in their world it means purity and superiority. I personally think it's utter rubbish. By the way the young Malfoy carries himself, it's clear that he shares his family's beliefs.

"Yes, I assume you've heard of him?" I try not to let the bitterness show at the mention of my father. I really do try to avoid thinking of him whenever possible.

"Yes. My father is Lucius and they were quite close before his move to the states. I had heard he was back, I didn't realize he had a daughter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Not wanting to cause a scene, I kept up the pleasantries. "It's not something he mentions if he can help it. It's nice to meet you."

Malfoy gave me an odd look before turning to those around us. I had been so distracted by our interaction I hadn't noticed those that had arrived with him.

"These are the other Slytherins from our year. The group is small, but we are close."

I got the feeling that they grew up together and knew each other inside and out just from glancing at their protective stances around one another. Good, hopefully that would allow me an easy out toward getting to know them too well.

Not noticing my assessment, beautiful blonde continued. "This is Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zambini, and Vincent Crabbe. Over here are your dorm mates, Millicent Bullstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Tracie Davis and Pansy Parkinson."

I had to keep from snickering as my gaze fell on the last. While I had never had pets growing up, her face reminded me of a pug I saw in a book once.

Before we could continue, the room fell silent. The headmaster gave a quick introduction before allowing Professor McGonagall to take over and lead the sorting ceremony. Honestly, I was bored to tears. I had never desired to hear a hat sing and it was dreadfully boring watching the incoming first years sit awkwardly while the hat decided the fate of their next seven years.

The feast began and I listened as those around me shared with each other their summer tales. Most of them had been at the Quidditch World Cup which had taken place not long before the start of the term. It was highlighted in the daily profit not for the sport, but the fact that a group of masked men known as Death Eaters had come to disrupt the fun.

I'm sure this event was part of the reason for our return to Europe. The group had been silent since the fall of Voldemort, also known as the Dark Lord or You-Know-Who, almost 13 years ago, but they were rumored to be forming once again and my father was anxious to be in on the action.

You see, the Death Eaters were not a nice group of people. They had very strict beliefs in who deserved to be a part of our world and made it their mission to follow this Voldemort fellow on his raid to rid the world of those with what he referred to as dirty blood. Apparently being born magical doesn't mean you're worthy.

"So what did you do this summer?" So lost in my thoughts it took me a moment to realize that the pug nosed Parkinson was referring to me.

"Oh um, I guess not much. We just moved back a month ago." They stared for a moment as if waiting for me to continue.

When it was clear that I wasn't going to, Parkinson rolled her eyes and hung on Malfoy's arm as she practically begged for his attention.

Soon enough the headmaster was once again calling our attention to the podium at the front of the hall. The typical start of term announcements were made, but the end of his speech held a surprise. For the first time in over two hundred years, the triwizard tournament would be held right here at Hogwarts.

The whispers of excitement were quickly replaced by moans of disappointment when it was announced that one must be 17 to be considered for school champion. On that sour note, we were released for our dorms.

I walked a few steps behind the group I had just met. We were all going to the same place so I could hardly just walk in the other direction, but I kept my distance enough to show that I wasn't interested in pretending I was with them.

Draco led the group as if he ruled the school. Based on others reactions to him in the hallway, I gathered that others either had a large amount of respect for him, or feared him. Either way, I was right. He was definitely the type of person who got what he wanted. I could only hope he would decide I wasn't worth paying attention to and the novelty of my appearance would fade quickly.

They took up a corner of the common room which was clearly claimed as there's long ago and I quietly made my way to the dorm. If I was hoping for a nice quiet night to myself, I would have been severely disappointed. As it was, I figured that it wouldn't take long for the others to corner me.

I had just exited the bathroom from changing for the night when Pansy pounced. Clearly, she thought herself to be the leader of the 4th year females.

"I don't know exactly what your story is, and quite frankly, I don't care too much as long as you keep your hands off what's ours. Draco is mine and Daphne has been betrothed to Theodore since before they were born so stay away."

Of course she would feel the need to warn me away from her man. How cliché could she get? I didn't have the patience to deal with this behavior. "Listen here. I am here because I have to be. My only goal is to go to the classes that are required, do my assignments, and stay off anyone's radar. I have no desire to get into your business and prefer you stay out of mine."

Pansy huffed, which was oddly hilarious with her squished features, and turned on her heel to leave.

"Good riddance." I mutter to myself before closing myself into my bed in an effort to prepare myself for the long day ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first day of classes thankfully went by without incident. I was able to keep to myself and avoid my dorm mates which I was pretty happy about. Call me a nerd, but I was actually happy with the amount of homework I received despite it being the first day. Ilvermorny wasn't big on homework which most of the students liked. However, I enjoyed learning and it also gave me a welcome distraction. One thing I did notice that was very different from my previous atmosphere was the pressure put on blood purity. I'm sure the incident at the Quidditch world cup helped stir up the conversation, but by the demonstrations I have seen of Malfoy and his crew today, blood status means as much to this group as it does to my father.

The other added benefit of homework on the first day, was it gave me an excuse to be in the library. All this talk about blood status and being back in my home country had been pushing the curiosity within me. My father had made a random comment several years ago, about the time that we left London the first time. I don't think he had intended to let it slip, but it tugged at a thread and a theory formed in my mind. It just so happens that the well-stocked Hogwarts library is the perfect place for me to confirm that theory.

I checked out the books I needed for my assignments so I could take them back to the dorm, then I went back to the shelves in search of my real reason for coming. Skimming along the dusty spines, I finally found what I was looking for. My heart pounded as I flipped the pages soaking up the information. An hour later, I sat back in the chair with my suspicions confirmed.

My father never spoke of my mother. He said she was no one worth knowing and while I appeared on his family tree, her identity had always remained a mystery to me. I didn't question it much when I was younger, and when I got older and asked my father for information, I quickly learned my lesson.

It was days before I could move without pain. I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Whoever my mother was clearly didn't care about me or she would have never left me with this man. And if she did care for me, she certainly wasn't worth the pain questions about her brought.

Today however, the information I found brought it all into a new light. Pieces fell into place with more clarity that I could have ever imagined and with it came the knowledge of just how much danger I was in.

As fast as I could without raising suspicion, I replaced the book containing birth and death records for the last hundred years and took off towards the common room. I'm sure if I had been paying closer attention, I would have noticed the stormy gray eyes following my hasty retreat.

It was nearly curfew when I entered the dorm and everyone was well on their way to bed, clearly exhausted from the first day of class. I dressed in my boy shorts and tank top as I usually did for bed and tried my hardest to quiet my racing brain and go to sleep.

Needless to say, at one in the morning I was still wide awake. I grabbed a book and headed for the deserted common room. I sat on the couch in front of the fire with my legs curled beneath me. With my book opened, I sat there stating into the fire.

Who knows how long I had been sitting there when I was startled by someone clearing their throat. My hand flew to my chest in an effort to calm my racing heart as I stared into the amused eyes of Draco Malfoy.

He approached quietly as I sat frozen to my chair. Normally I would never have been so caught off guard and as a result I had absolutely no clue what to do as he approached. He bent down in front of me as his hand moved to wipe my face. Was I crying? I hadn't realized, but there was no other explanation for the wetness on my cheeks.

"I know we've just met, but care to share what has you so upset?" His tone was sincere and it was enough to break through my carefully crafted walls.

"My mother is dead."

He froze. Clearly this wasn't what he had expected and was outside his realm of expertise. Still, he took a seat next to me and took my hand in his.

"Did it happen recently? Is that why you moved back?" I shook my head. "Well, would you like to talk about it?"

I thought hard about that. Truthfully, I wanted someone to tell me I was wrong and this was just an awful dream, but I knew deep down that this was my reality. Malfoy continued to look at my questioningly. I had barely met him 24 hours prior. There was no way to know if I could trust him, especially knowing who his father is. Deciding I couldn't trust him, I shook my head again.

"Alright. I understand. But I do want you to know that we all have our own demons around here. Us Slytherins seem to have a tougher go around than the other houses. We've learned to stick together and become our own family. I don't know what you're going through, but I'm willing to bet that it would be a little easier if you could share some of the burden. I'd love to help shoulder it when you're ready."

"Thank you." My voice was weak and pathetic, but at least I managed to get the words out.

"Listen, meet me after dinner in the library tomorrow. We can study together. You don't have to be alone around here, but I understand if you don't want a big group. It will be just you and me."

For once, that didn't sound like such a bad idea. I didn't know much about the boy in front of me, but the side he was showing this evening was very different than the earlier impression I had of him and something was pulling me in wanting to know more.

"Ok. I will see you then."

"Great. Now, you should really try to get some sleep."

I nodded once more and we headed for our respective dorms.


End file.
